Prefabricated roof slab



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Aug. l1, 1953 c. D. IDDINGs ET'AL `2,648,299 PREFABRICATED ROOF SLAB Filed sept. e, 1951 2 sheets-smet 2 Patented Aug. 11, 1953 PREFAERIOATED ROOF SLAB Y charles D. Idaings, Jack R. Bechtoia, and raul E. Borg, Tulsa, Okla., assignors to Lee C. Moore Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 6, 1951, Serial No. 245,328

8 Claims; (01.108-13) 1 This invention relates to prefabricated roo Slabs, and more particularlyv to thoseA used on buildings that are dismantled after a short time and reassembled in another location.

In many industries, such as the oil well drilling industry, there is a need for buildings to be used as shelters for machinery'for a short period, such as several weeks, after which they are dismantled and moved to aI new location. Obviously, it is desirable to erect such buildings from prefabrcated sections that can easilyfbe connected together. One of the lmore 'serious problems encountered is concerned with the roofs. Of course the roofs should be watertight,

but the temporary nature of their construction makes any form of caulking undesirable.

It is among the objects of this inventionL to provide prefabricated roof slabs which are of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, which can be quickly assembled to form a watertight roof, which can be connected easily to the roof supports, which require a minimum of connecting members, 4which can be made in the desired size without regard tothe spacing between or the direction of the roof supports, and which are not likely to be damaged during handling or transportation. f In accordance with this invention, each slab comprises a rectangular frame having vend members connected by side members rthat` are in the form of angle bars. The bar yatv'one'side of the frame has upwardly diverging sides which form a gutter when the roof is laid, andthe .bar at the opposite side of the frame has downwardly diverging sides to form a hook. The hook bar of each frame is adapted to receive and t over the outer side of the gutter bar of like frame beside it to connect the frames together. Each frame is coveredl with Asuitable sheet material that projects a short distance from one end of each frame to overlap'theslab at that end of the frame. Also, one'end of each gutter bar may be provided with a shortjbridging vbar that projects into the gutter of the next slab. It is desirable to provide an end member of each slab with outwardlypprOleCting means at its bottom to support the end.4 member ofthe adjoining slab andto enable thelatter toV hold down the first end member. An anchor member preferably extends diagonally across 'ay corner of each frame between the inner side of its hook bar and the adjoining end member; This vanchor member is adapted'to be tied downto a supporting structure to hold the framein place. The Preferred embodiment" oi 'the invention p (not shown) Averge downward.

is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which Fig. 1 is a plan vievw of a slop- 'of the slab; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View taken on the line VI-VI `of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a plurality of sloping roof slabs are laid side by side and end to end on a supporting structure which may consist of parallel beams or trusses I supported in any suitable manner by the sides of the building As shown in Fig. 4, each of the slabs has a rectangular frame that is formed from end members 2 and 3 connected by side members 4 and 5. A central cross member 6 also may be used to reinforce the frame. The side lmembers are angle bars, and theend members likewise may be angle bars with one flange lying in the upper plane of the frame. One side bar 4 has its flanges diverging upward with their upper edges disposed in the plane of the upper nanges of the two end bars, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This side bar forms a V-shape rain gutter extending down the sloping roof. In most of the slabs the angle bar 5 at the opposite side of the frame is inverted so that its flanges di- The inclination of these flanges is the same as that of the gutter bar flanges at the other sidev of the frame so that the outer ange of the inverted bar can extend down into the gutter bar of the frame beside it and fit flat against the inner surface of the outer flange of the gutter bar. The inverted bar thus forms a hook that hooks Onto the adjoining gutter bar. The hook bar 5 preferably has narrower ilanges than the gutter bar in o rder to save weight and expense, and to keep of the frames will lie in substantially the ,same plane, as shown in Fig. 2, and not be tiltedrel'a- 'tive to one another.

The frames in the row extending along one side of the roof are not provided with hook bars 5. Instead, the place of each hook bar is taken by another gutter bar 8 so that there will be gutters along both sides of the roof.

Welded to the upper end bar 2 of each frame, except the frames along the upper end of the roof, is one or more supports in the form of angles Ill that project outward from the frame below the end bar. As shown in Fig. 3, these supporting angles support the end bar 3 at the lower end of the next higher frame and thereby assure that the tops of adjoining end bars will lie in the same plane. The supporting angles also permit the lower end of each frame to hold down the upper end of the next lower frame.

To prevent water from leaking through the joints formed between abutting gutter bars 4, a short bridge bar I I is Welded in the lower end of each gutter bar and projects a short distance into the upper end of the next lower gutter bar. These bridge bars are made of sheet metal strip bent lengthwise into V-shape to conform to the inside of the gutter bars and to extend part way up their sides. The water owing down the gutters therefore ows across the joints between the gutter bars through these bridge bars.

The slab frames can be fastened down to the underlying trusses in several diierent ways, but it is preferred to provide each frame with an anchoring member in the form of a rod I2 that extends diagonally across a lower corner of the frame between its end bar 3 and hook bar 5, to which the rod is welded. A hook bolt I3 is hooked over each rod and is bolted to the underlying truss I, or to some other rigid member. Only one anchoring member is needed for each of many of the frames, because the opposite end of the frame is held down by the next higher frame resting on angles I0, and the opposite side oi.' the frame is held down by the frame that overlaps that side. Wherever there is a frame that has a corner that is not held down in one of these two ways, an additional diagonal rod and holddown bolt can be provided. For example, the frames at the right hand side of the roof shown in Fig. l need a diagonal rod across their lower right hand corners, while the uppermost frame in that row needs similar rods I6 and Il across both of its upper corners. The rest of the frames in the upper row each has a rod I6 across its upper left hand corner. Due to the way in which the frames are overlapped and anchored it is not necessary for their end joints to fall over the centers of the trusses, nor for the trusses to extend crosswise of the roof.

Each frame is covered by sheet material, preferably a corrugated metal sheet I9 which has its corrugations extending lengthwise of the frame. One edge of the sheet extends a short distance into the gutter at one side of the frame and is riveted or spot welded to the gutter bar 4. The opposite side of the sheet overlaps the hook bar and is fastened to its outer ange in like manner. The upper end of the sheet preferably terminates on top of the upper end bar .2, but its lower end projects beyond the lower end bar 3 a distance equal to the distance that the adjacent bridge bar II projects beyond the frame. Consequently, the lower end of each sheet overlaps the upper end of the next lowerslab so that water will not leak between the ends of the sheets.

These slabs can be laid quickly .and easily to form a roof, especially since only one bolt is used for anchoring many of them. The joints are watertight without caulking, and rain gutters are built into the roof. As the covering sheets of the slabs project from the frames only at one end, there is little likelihood of the projecting portions being damaged while the slabs are being handled or transported from one location to another.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may -be practiced otherwise than as specically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook. and sheet material covering the frame and fastened thereto, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and iit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together.

2. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook, sheet material covering the frame and fastened thereto, and an anchoring member extending diagonally across a corner of the frame between the inner side of its hook bar and the adjoining end member, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and fit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together, and the anchoring members being adapted to be tied down to a supporting structure to hold the slabs in place.

3. A plurality of Lprefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook, and sheet material `covering the frame and festened to the inner side of its gutter bar and the outer side of its hook bar, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and fit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together.

4. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook. the top of the gutter bar being disposed in substantially the same plane as the tOps of said end members, the top of the hook bar being disposed above said plane a. short distance, and sheet material covering the frame and fastened to the side 'bars thereof, the book bar of each slab vbeing adapted to receive and nt over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together.

5. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides and ends, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having efnd members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides :forming a hook, and sheet material covering the Irame and fastened to the side bars thereof, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and fit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together, said sheet material projecting from only one end of each frame to overlap a short distance the slab at that end of the frame.

6. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid in rows with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook, sheet material covering the frame and fastened thereto, and a short bridge bar having upwardly diverging sides tting rigidly in one end of the gutter bar and projecting therefrom to iit in the end of the gutter bar of the frame adjoining that end of the first gutter bar, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and fit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together.

7. A plurality of roof slabs adapted to be laid in rows with overlapping sides, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides for-ming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the 6 frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook, sheet material covering the frame and fastened thereto, and rigid means projecting a short distance lengthwise of the frame from one of said end members for supporting the end member of an adjoining frame, the hook bar of each slab being adapted to receive and fit over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining slab to connect the slabs together. 8. A plurality of prefabricated roof slabs adapted to be laid with overlapping sides amd ends, each slab comprising a rectangular frame having end members connected by side members in the form of angle bars, the bar at one side of the frame having upwardly diverging sides forming a gutter and the bar at the opposite side of the frame having downwardly diverging sides forming a hook, rigid means projecting a short distance lengthwise of the frame from the bottom of one of its end members for supporting the end member of an adjoining frame, an anchoring member extending diagonally across a corner of the frame between its other end member amd the inner side of its hook bar, the hook bar of each frame being adapted to receive and t over the outer side of the gutter bar of an adjoining frame to connect the frames together, the anchoring members being adapted to be attached to a supporting structure to hold the frames in place, and sheet material covering the frame and fastened to the side bars thereof, said material projecting from only one end of each frame to overlap a short distance the slab at that end of the frame.

CHARLES D. IDDINGS.

JACK R. BECHTOLD.

PAUL E. BORG.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,100,323 Fitch Nov. 30, 1937 2,302,949 Palmer Nov. 24, 1942 

